Back in March, CBS News reported that attempted and actual suicide rates among veterans had skyrocketed since the start of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Between 2000 to 2007, the number of vets who attempted suicide increased 44%; nearly 1,800 vets committed suicide in 2005 alone.
A top official at the Department of Veterans Affairs today defended his department’s record before Congress, refuting accusations that the VA is failing the mental health of its patients. Advocacy groups argue that on average 18 veterans commit suicide daily, and that 70% of VA facilities have no way of tracking at risk patients. This, nearly a year after the VA said it would spend $37.7 million on “placing psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers within primary care clinics.”
For more on advocacy organizations that help veterans meet their psychological needs, see Vets 4 Vets, the Soldiers Project, or Veteran Centers, a government-run program that provides readjustment counseling and more.
